Genealogist Hat

I received an email from a distant relative yesterday. Marilyn is a family genealogist who shares a tie to my great-grandfather, James Wainwright Bristow. Before census and other records were on the internet, I would spend lunch hours at the Cincinnati Public Library reading microfilm and trying to find records on a family who wasn't forthcoming in family history. My father had spent years compiling information on his side of the family and traced us all the way back to Scotland. Sadly when he died his brother took all of the records out of state with him and no amount of pleading could get copies sent back this way. Therefore I started checking into our family's story on my own. Luckily I work close to the Cincinnati Public Library and was even able to make it to the Kenton County Library in time to look up a record or two before rushing back to work. I have a deep respect for the brave and patient souls who search their family at these great storehouses of history and I am pleased that they can now do so much of it at home on their laptops. Keeping the family archive usually doesn't appeal to us until we've lost many of the older members who have it tucked safely in their hearts and minds but not on paper. Don't wait until its too late, like I among many have done, to get their stories to learn about their lives. They were once much more than just gram and gramps. They too had long and wonderful lives that will interest us all.